Appliances include multiple electronic modules for controlling various appliance functions. Many electronic modules monitor themselves and their environments and are able to report diagnostic information using a diagnostic module having an interface with which a diagnostic device may communicate. For example, if the appliance is a vehicle such as an automobile or truck sold in the United States, the On Board Diagnostic (OBD) specification describes mandatory monitoring and diagnostic reporting requirements. A standardized (but specialized) OBD connector provides access to the reported diagnostics through a tool. The OBD connector can be accessed by only one physically-connected tool at a time.
The OBD connector in an appliance such as a vehicle may be less accessible than may be desirable. For example, it may be located under the dashboard towards the firewall. Additionally, the OBD connector and associated wiring may be expensive to manufacture and install.
It would be beneficial to provide appliances such as vehicles with a more easily accessed and less expensive interface for providing diagnostic information than the standardized OBD connector. It would further be beneficial for the interface to be accessible to multiple tools at or near the same time.